Air conditioning apparatus



' Jan. 12, 1960 L. w. ATCHISON 2,920,461

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1958 INVENTOR.

LEONARD w. ATCH|SON HIS ATTORNEY nited States atent 2,920,461 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 2,920,461 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Leonard W. Atchison, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 8, 1958, Serial No. 778,687 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-325) The present invention relates to and has as its principal object a new and improved air conditioning apparatus of the shelf-contained type having an arrangement for selectively directing the heat dissipated by the compressor and the other motors of the units either into the enclosure to be conditioned or to the outside.

In the preferred arrangement for carrying the invention into effect, there is provided an air conditioning unit including a casing adapted to be mounted in an outer wall of a room or enclosure and having arranged therein a pair of spaced apart partitions which divide the casing into inner and outer compartments and form a motor enclosure between them. The inner compartment is provided with a plurality of openings leading to the room, and the outer, compartment is provided with a plurality of openings leading to the outside. Heat exchangers are disposed across the openings in each of the compartments and these are connected in refrigerant flow relationship with a compressor mounted Within the motor enclosure between the spaced partitions. In order to circulate outside air through the outer compartment and room air through the inner compartment, each of the compartments is provided with air moving means, which are driven by a moto'r that is also mounted within the motor enclosure between the partitions and which dissipates its operating heat into the motor enclosure. In accordance with the present invention there are provided a plurality of air inlet and outlet openings connecting the motor enclosure with the inner and outer compartments as well as with the room to be conditioned and with the outside. Damper means are provided for opening and closing each of the openings in order to selectively direct air from either the inner or outer compartments into the motor enclosure to absorb the heat dissipated by the motors therein and to carry this heat either to the outside or into the room.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a plan view illustrating the preferred arrangement of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a room air conditioning unit inserted through a wall 2 for cooling an enclosure, which is the general area indicated by the numeral 3 on one side of the wall. The unit extends through the wall with one side facing the enclosure 3 and the other side facing the outer atmosphere, designated by the numeral 4 on the opposite side of the 'wall. The air conditioning unit comprises a casing 6 suitably mounted in the wall 2 and housing a reversible cycle refrigeration system including a motor driven compressor 7. Discharge and suctio'n lines (not shown) leading from the compressor connect with a reversing valve 8. Also connected to the reversing valve 8 are a pair of conduits 9 and 11 which lead respectively to a pair of heat exchangers 12 and 13. A suitable electrical means such as a solenoid (not shown) operates the reversing valve 8 between two positions-for reversing the flow of refrigerant through the system. In the first position, the reversing valve directs the hot discharge gas through the conduit 11 and returns the cold refrigerant gas from the conduit 9 to the compressor thereby conditioning the system so that the heat exchanger 13 operates as a condenser and the heat exchanger 12 operates as an evaporator. In its second position, the reversing valve 8 reverses the direction of refrigerant flow, directing the hot refrigerant gas through the conduit 9 and directing the cold refrigerant gas from the conduit 11 into the compressor 7, thereby operating the heat exchanger 12 as a condenser and the heat exchanger 13 as an evaporator. There has not been shown any particular reversing valve structure since it will be understood that any suitable reversing valve foraccomplishing the above operation may be used.

Included in the refrigeration system for the purpose of expanding the refrigerant from the condensing pressure to the evaporating pressure is a capillary tube '14. This tube operates as an expansion means regardless of the direction of flow of the refrigerant, and it is' so constructed and arranged that an efficient flow rate is obtained in both directions.

The casing 6 is divided into inner and outer compartments 16 and 17 respectively by a pair of spaced apart barriers or partitio'ns 18and 19 which are centrally located within the casing. In addition to separating the inner and outer compartments, the barriers 18 and 19 form a space or motor enclosure 21 which is designed to accommodate the electrical heat producing components of the air conditioning unit. Within the inner co'mpartment 16, in the side facing the room, there is provided an air inlet opening 22 and a pair of air outlet openings 23 and 24 through which air from the room 3 is circulated through the inner compartment. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the heat exchanger 12 is po'sitioned substantially across the openings and room air is drawn by an air moving means or blower 26 into the inner compartment through the inlet opening 22, and the central portion'of the heat exchanger 12 and is discharged back into the ro'om through opposite ends of the heat exchanger 12 and the outlet openings 23 and 24. Similarly, the heat exchanger 13 is disposed across an inlet opening 27 and a pair of outlet openings 28 and 29 which connectthe outer compartment with the outside atmosphere. An air moving means or blower 31 circulates outside air through the outer compartment, first pulling the air into the compartment through the opening 27 and, after passing it over the heat exchanger 13, discharging it back to the outside through the outlet openings 18 and 19. Suitable scrolls 32 and 33 are provided for directing the air into the blowers 26 and 31 from the inlet openings.

in the embodiment shown in the drawing, the partitions 18 and 19 diverge at one end and the compressor 7 is positioned in this portion of the motor enclosure 21. Also disposed within the motor enclosure is a fan or blower motor 34 which drives a shaft 36 upon which the blowers 26 and 31 are mounted. The heat dissipated by both the fan motor 34 and the compressor 7 is transferred to the air within the motor enclosure 21. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner sides of the motor enclosure 21 are insulated to effectively prevent this heat from being conducted out of the motor enclosure through the partitio'ns 18 and 19.

During operation of the blowers, air is drawn into the inner and outer compartments and is directed rearwardly against partitions 18 and 19 which separate the compartments. As may be seen in the drawing, air flows outwardly along the partitions toward the ends of the casing prior to being discharged from the case. Air inlet openings 37 and 38 are provided in the partitions 18 and 19 through which air from within either the inner compartment 16 or the outer compartment 17 can enter the motor enclosure 21. In the preferred embodiment of the in vention illustrated in the drawing, air outlets 39 and 4% leading from the motor enclosure respectively to the room 3 and to the outside 4 are formed by the ends 42 and 43 in cooperation with the end of the casing.

In order to control the flow of air into the central or motor enclosure 21 from either one of the compartments 16 or 17 and to direct this air either into the room or to the outside, damper means are provided which may be selectively operated to open one of the inlet openings 37 or 38 while closing the other and to open one of the outlet openings 39 and 41 while closing the other. More specifically, a pair of dampers 44 and 46 are provided for openings 37 and 38 respectively, each of which may be moved into a fully open position while the other is moved to a closed position. Thus, damper 4t: can be moved to the open position and damper 4-4 to the closed position to direct an air stream from the outer compartment 17 into the motor compartment 21 as illustrated by the solid line arrow. Or similarly, the damper 44 can be moved into the dotted line position shown in the drawing while the damper 46 is moved to the closed position (as indicated in dotted lines in the drawing) to direct air from the inner compartment 16 into the central motor enclosure. This air flow is indicated by the dotted line arrows in the drawing. Dampers 47 and 48 are provided in the other end of the motor enclosure 21 to open or close the outlet openings 39 and 41. Thus, as shown in the solid lines in the drawing, damper 47 has completely closed the opening 39 and damper 48 is in the open position to permit air to flow from the motor enclosure 21 through the opening 41 to the outside. When the dampers 47 and 48 are moved to the dotted line positions, shown in the drawing, air flows (as indicated by the dotted line arrows) from the motor compartment Zll through the outlet opening 39 to the room to be conditioned.

It will be noted that the dampers 44 and 46 are hinged so that, when they are in the open position, they swing outwardly across the air streams flowing along the partitions. That is, the damper hinges 49 and 51 are on the heat exchanger compartment sides of the partitions 18 and 19 and are positioned downstream with respect to the inlet openings to the motor enclosure 21. Thus, the dampers 44 and 46 act as scoops to divert the air streams into the motor enclosure.

In operation, whenever the air conditioner is operated on the cooling cycle and the heat exchanger 12 is being utilized as an evaporator, it is desirable to transfer the heat dissipated by the electrical components of the unit to the outside. Thus, the dampers are positioned so that the inlet opening 38 and the outlet opening 41 are open. More specifically, the damper 46 is swung into the outer compartment 17 and the damper 48 is moved into its open position with the damper 48 moved closely adjacent the compressor 7. The air then flows through the heat exchanger 13 and is scooped into the central enclosure 21 through the air inlet opening 38 and is discharged after absorbing the heat of the compressor and the fan motor through the outlet opening 41.

During the heating cycle, when the heat exchanger 32 is operating as a condenser and the heat exchanger 13 is operating as an evaporator, it is desirable to take advantage of the heat dissipated by the fan motor 34 and by the compressor 7 to provide further heating of the room air. Therefore, during the heating cycle,.the dampers are all moved to their dotted line positions shown in the drawing with the damper 44 pivoted outwardly into the inner compartment 16 and the damper 47 opening the outlet 39 so that the air stream flowing through the inner compartment 16 is partially diverted through the motor enclosure to absorb the heat of the motors therein prior to flowing out the outlet opening 39 back into the enclosure 3.

Some times during operation of the unit on the cooling cycle it is desirable to provide a certain amount of heating of the room air along with the cooling. In other words, rather than completely cooling the air, it is sometimes desirable to merely dehumidify the air while maintaining the room at substantially the same temperature. When this is the case, the damper means is positioned to divert air from the inner compartment 16 through the motor enclosure. That is, just as during the heating cycle, the damper is moved to its open position with the damper extending outwardly into the inner compartment 16. Damper 55 is then in the closed position over the inlet opening 38. Damper 47 is moved to the open position (i.e. its dotted line position of the drawing) and the damper 4-3 is closed. Air is than diverted from the inner compartment 16 through the motor enclosure 21 whereupon the partially cooled air absorbs the heat of the motor and of the compressor prior to discharging through the outlet opening 39 back into the room.

By the present invention there has been provided an air conditioning unit of the self-contained type which is adapted to direct all of the heat dissipated by the electrical components of the unit either into the enclosure or to the outside.

While in accordance with the patent statutes there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is, therefore, the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an air conditioning unit of the type adapted to be mounted in an aperture in the outer wall of a room, the combination comprising a casing, a pair of spaced partitions dividing said casing into inner and outer compartments and forming a motor enclosure therebetween, said inner compartment having a plurality of openings leading to said room and said outer compartment having a plurality of openings leading to the outside, a compressor and a pair of heat exchangers mounted in said casing in refrigerant flow relationship, one of said heat exchangers being disposed across at least one opening leading to said room and the other heat exchanger disposed across at least one opening leading to the outside, said compressor being mounted in said motor enclosure between said spaced partitions, a first air moving means for circulating air from said room through said inner compartment and back into said room, a second air moving means for circulating air from the outside through said outer compartment and back to the outside, at least one motor for driving said first and second air moving means, said driving motor also being positioned in said motor enclosure, air inlet openings connecting each of said compartments with said motor enclosure, air outlet openings connecting said motor enclosure with said room and the outside respectively, and damper means selectively movable to open or close said inlet and outlet openings to divert a portion of the air from either said inner compartment or said outer compartment through said motor enclosure for absorbing the heat of said compressor and said air moving means drive motor.

2. In an air conditioning unit of the type adapted to be mounted in an aperture in the outer wall of a room, the combination comprising a casing, a pair of spaced apart partitions dividing said casing into a pair of heat exchanger compartments and a motor compartment, a compressor mounted in said motor compartment, a pair of heat exchangers each mounted in a separate one of said heat exchanger compartments, openings in one of said heat exchanger compartments leading to the room to be conditioned and openings in the other of said heat exchanger compartments leading to the outside, a first air moving means in one of said heat exchanger compartment for circulating air from said room through said one heat exchanger compartment, a second air moving means in said other heat exchange compartment for circulating air from the outside through said other heat exchanger compartment, a driving motor mounted in said motor compartment and including a common drive shaft extending through said partitions into each of said heat exchanger compartments for driving said first and second air moving means, said motor compartment having one outlet opening leading to said room and another outlet opening leading to the outside, air inlet openings in each of said partitions connecting said motor enclosure with each of said heat exchanger compartments, and damper means for opening and closing said inlet and outlet openings so that air from either said inner compartment or said outer compartment is diverted through said motor compartment for absorbing the heat of said compressor and said driving motor.

3. In an air conditioning unit of the type adapted to be mounted in an aperture in the outer Wall of a room, the combination comprising a casing having a plurality of openings in opposite sides thereof, a pair of heat exchangers disposed across said openings in the opposite sides of said casing, a pair of centrally disposed spaced apart partitions dividing said easing into a pair of heat exchanger compartments and a motor compartment, blower means in each of said heat exchanger compartments for circulating separate air streams through said heat exchanger compartments, said air streams flowing along said partitions prior to being discharged from said compartments, a compressor mounted in said motor compartment, a motor mounted in said motor compartment and including a drive shaft extending through said partitions into said heat exchanger compartments for driving said blowers, inlet openings in each of said partitions connecting said motor enclosure with each of said heat exchanger cornpartments, a first pair of dampers adapted to open and close said inlet openings, said dampers adapted to pivot outwardly into said heat exchanger compartments into the path of said air streams, flowing along said partitions to divert portions of said air stream into said motor compartment for absorbing the heat of said compressor and said motor, outlet openings leading from said motor compartment to the room to be conditioned and to the outside, a second pair of dampers selectively operable to open or close one or the other of said outlet openings to divert the air stream flowing through said motor compartment into the room to be conditioned or to the outside.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

